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California to offer free year of community college

Posted: 9:36 AM, Oct 17, 2017

Updated:2017-10-17 17:09:58Z

By:
CNN

California just became the latest state to reduce the cost of a public college
education.
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill
that will make one year free for students at the state's 114 community colleges, so long as they are residents and new students who are enrolled full-time.
It follows similar legislation adopted in New York
and Rhode Island this year.
California has one of the biggest community college systems in the country and it was already one of the most affordable. It currently charges residents just $46 per credit, or about $1,100 a year when enrolled full-time.
The state has waived the per credit fee for low-income students since 1986, when it was just $5. About 43 percent of its 2.3 million students benefited from that program during the 2015-2016 school year
.
The new legislation expands the waiver to all students, regardless of their income, for their first year. An additional 19,000 students would qualify, according to an estimate from the Community College Chancellor's office
, costing the state $31.1 million a year. The number could be higher if more students decide to go to community college because of the new waiver.